A NURTURING SPIRIT
By Emily Pearce, Outreach Associate, G.L.O.B.A.L. Justice
December 2024
In late February 2022, I anxiously walked into a small-town Texas coffee shop to meet my biological grandmother. For years, I created scenarios in my head on what this day would look and feel like. That Sunday morning was the day I finally got to experience the feeling of looking into the face of someone who looks like you because of DNA. It was me, just older. As we spent time together and I learned about her, I could make more sense of myself and my personality, which I struggled with growing up as an adoptee.
This milestone in piecing together my adoption story over the past seven years, has fascinated me with the concepts of nature and nurture in day-to-day life. A greater understanding of these concepts would enhance personal lives and relationships. Let me explain.
I was born in Arizona but raised in southeast Georgia. Growing up, I never fully fit in. I was the weird one, but there was still a deep love between my family and friends. My parents and I learned how to nurture my free-spirited, independent, curious nature (which is part of the culture of the southwestern US) in ways that fit within their nature of life. I have come to understand where I was born geographically and who I was born from biologically factors into who I am, just as much as who raised me and where they raised me. Gazing into the eyes of the woman who I looked like and act like brought me a deep sense of comfort in who I am and gratitude for the people who took the time to nurture me based on who I am growing up.
My experience reminds me of the people in our communities who do not fit in and the difficulty in not feeling accepted. I have to ask myself how I am nurturing those neighbors well. To nurture someone well, it is pertinent to understand their nature through getting to know them. Sometimes, it is easier because there is a natural connection, like biology or, in my case, raising a child from infancy. However, there are more difficulties when people have more established personalities and characteristics as they age, making it harder to adapt to new situations, settings, and relationships.
When we know and understand someone else better, we can nurture them and our relationship with that person better. We can only nurture someone as well as we know them. Much of our information relies on apparent differences, like skin color, attire, class, gender, sexuality, disability, religion, etc., until we initiate more inquisitive conversations to gather more details about a person’s life, even as simple as asking someone their name. One of my favorite quotes is from Dale Carnegie, “Remember that a person's name is to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”
The more people feel known, seen, and valued as people, the stronger our communities can be. The power that comes from compassion, empathy, and love can help us honor someone’s humanity and better understand their needs to make life a little easier. When spaces are created to hear the voices of our neighbors, we can find resolutions and improved ways to enhance our communities.
I find it important to state that nurture is not always just watering but it is also pruning and removal. In John 15:1-2 (NIV), Jesus shares, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Nurturing others sometimes means accountability–personal and social and helping others reach their fullest potential to contribute good to others and the greater population. It is looking out for those who are more vulnerable to injustice.
This holiday season, I hope we can look around at our neighbors and see how we can better get to know their nature so we can nurture stronger communities to support those in a time of hardship or who are more vulnerable. Consider how you have been nurtured and how you can use your giftings, talents, and treasure to positively impact the lives of those around you each day. May leave someone with Love, Hope, Joy, and Peace with each interaction and gesture so people know they are seen, valued, and accepted not just in the Christmas season, but throughout each year..